MASSENA: St. Lawrence-FDR Overhaul Registers Milestone—The first of 16 turbine-generators to be refurbished at the Power Authority's St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project in a $254 million Life Extension and Modernization (LEM) effort has returned to service. The 15-year program, scheduled for completion in 2013, will provide for the replacement or renovation of most of the original 40-plus-year-old equipment in the powerhouse of the project's Robert Moses Power Dam to ensure its continued reliable operation. The newly refurbished unit received a new turbine along with new generator parts and a new control system. It had been running for several weeks during testing before entering continuous service on April 6. Work is already under way on a second turbine-generator, which is tentatively slated to be reinstalled by next January. The schedule then calls for about three units to be refurbished every two years until all of the project's turbine-generators have been completed. The project, NYPA's first generating facility, produces some of the nation's least-expensive electricity and is a cornerstone of the Northern New York economy.

NEW YORK: Hunter College Saves With NYPA Boilers, Chillers—The Power Authority's largest-ever energy services project, now in operation, will save the City University of New York's (CUNY) Hunter College close to $1.4 million in reduced energy and maintenance costs each year. The $18.5 million project met all of the cooling and heating needs of the college—CUNY's largest, with more than 20,000 students—through the installation of three high-efficiency chillers and three dual-fueled boilers. The new equipment replaced chillers and boilers at the end of their useful life and centralized climate control throughout Hunter's four buildings. The Power Authority provided $10.7 million in financing for the project, with the balance of the funds furnished by the state Dormitory Authority. NYPA will recover its investment by sharing in the savings. The work was part of the Power Authority's long-term energy partnership agreement with the City of New York. Since 1990, NYPA has carried out energy upgrades at 18 of CUNY's 21 campuses, for total annual savings of more than $9 million.

HERE AND THERE: NYPA Showcases EVs at Earth Day Events—Power Authority electric vehicles (EVs) were the stars of several Earth Day celebrations across the state. On April 20, a NYPA EV was displayed at Buffalo State College's Earth Day Exposition, and on the next day, employees of the Power Authority's Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project in Schoharie County demonstrated an EV and provided information about the Authority's energy-efficiency programs at the Howe Caverns Earth and Arbor Day Celebration, Howes Cave. On April 22, a Ford TH!NK city EV, featured in the NYPA/Th!nk Clean Commute Program, North America's largest electric station-car demonstration project, was on view at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The Power Authority's Earth Day activities were scheduled to conclude on April 27 with the appearance of a NYPA Toyota Prius hybrid-electric car at the Bethlehem Children's School, Delmar.

NEW YORK: Tour de Sol Racers to Head for Manhattan—This year's American Tour de Sol electric-vehicle road rally will run from Washington, D.C., to midtown Manhattan, culminating on May 18 with an environmental festival co-sponsored by the Power Authority. Organized by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (www.nesea.org), the weeklong race up the East Coast is being billed as the Great American Green Transportation Festival, aimed at demonstrating the benefits and practicality of alternative-fueled vehicles. A traditional favorite among the 35-plus contestants is the Sunpacer, a solar-powered car built by students at Cato-Meridian High School in Oswego County with NYPA support. The NYPA/TH!NK Clean Commute, an electric station car demonstration program, will be featured in a Power Authority exhibit at the May 18 finish-line festival, which will include informational displays, entertainment and food vendors, at Hudson River Park and Pier 84, at 44th Street, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

PEEKSKILL: Vesce to Receive Paramount Partnership Award—Vincent Vesce, the Power Authority’s executive vice president, Corporate Services and Human Resources, was scheduled to be honored with the Paramount Center for the Performing Arts’ Paramount Partnership Award at the organization’s annual gala Beaux Arts Ball on April 27. Vesce, a lifelong Peekskill resident and former mayor, was selected for his commitment to the arts and support of local cultural groups in northern Westchester County. He is a former board member of the center and currently chairs its advisory board. The award, an acrylic sculpture about 12 inches high, was designed for the Paramount Center by noted local artist Paul Jefferies of Mohegan Lake. Joseph Seymour, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and a Power Authority trustee, is the ball’s honorary chairman.

NORTH BLENHEIM: Free Fuel for Fun at Regional Attractions—The Power Authority's Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project visitors center has teamed up with Howe Caverns to offer $5 worth of free gas (while supplies last) to guests who visit both attractions. The Power Authority's admission-free visitors center, housed in a restored 19th century dairy barn, features interactive exhibits on energy and the environment. From there, travelers will enjoy spectacular scenery as they drive through the Schoharie Valley to Howe Caverns, the largest cave open to the public in the Northeast. Visitors starting their trip at either site can receive a validated coupon. The coupon can be exchanged at the next site (within seven days) for a $5 gift card redeemable for gasoline at any Stewart's Shop. For more information, contact Howe Caverns at 518-296-8900 or NYPA at 1-800-724-0309; or visit: www.nypa.gov/vc/blengil.htm.

In the Community: A Power Authority exhibit was scheduled to be on view at the Smelt Festival, Lewiston, April 26….The Niagara Power Project visitors center was slated to play host to a wellness seminar and fundraising event sponsored by the Niagara County Council of Wellness, Lewiston, April 25….NYPA exhibited an electric vehicle at General Electric's Take Your Daughter to Work Day, Schenectady, April 24....Staff members at the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project visitors center spoke to students at the Jefferson Central School on careers in the electric utility industry, April 24….NYPA co-sponsored and displayed a TH!NK city electric car at the 2002 Staten Island Economic Development Conference, April 23-24. The admission-free event featured exhibits by businesses and non-profit groups; seminars on business topics, including landfill development, Web commerce and recycling; a job fair; and networking opportunities for small businesses….Lori Presti, senior tour guide at the Niagara project's visitors center, presented awards to students at the Niagara Catholic Junior and Senior High School's science fair for grades 6-8, Niagara Falls, April 21. NYPA co-sponsored the event.…More than 350 people turned out for Earth Day activities at the Niagara project visitors center, April 20. They received tree seedlings, booklets on the environment and rides on NYPA electric vehicles....Employees of the Industrial Power and Light Corporation, Buffalo, toured the Niagara project's visitors center, April 11.